Dark Princess
by Sputz
Summary: Hermione has been taken by Voldemort, who has made her forget her past and become his heir. Can Severus help her remember her past? HGSS- NOW COMPLETE!
1. Chapter One

This fic is a plot bunny dreamed up by AirenAstera who should get credit for any good ideas here. Note- just because I am writing this does not mean that I am giving up on Gift of the Dark Lord. I will update both fics once a week if possible.

If I get reviews, I am inspired to write more, so please remember to press that little button! Make my day!

Disclaimer: as I just stated, neither the character or plot are mine. Don't sue me!

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**Chapter One**

"Did you get the girl?"

"Yes, Master, of course. Here she is."

Lucius Malfoy gestured to a couple of men in black cloaks and they threw a small figure at the man's feet. Voldemort looked down, and watched as a girl with a mass of brown hair currently matted with blood fought to stand.

The man watched as, with a huge effort, she finally pulled herself up to the greatest height she could. Catching his amused stare, she gave him what she clearly thought was a venemous stare. She had a lot to learn, but then again she was only eighteen years old.

"I am interested to know why you took the liberty of hurting the girl. Did I give you permission to do that?"

"What?" asked Lucius, before remembering who he was talking to. "Master, you have never before stopped us hurting prisoners before, and the girl is just a mudblood."

"I did not tell you that you were allowed to damage the girl. I just told you I wanted to have her brought to me."

"But you never-"

"Crucio!" Voldemort watched the blond man writhe in pain on the ground for a few moments, before releasing the spell and hissing at him, "Do not assume that you know my intentions. _I _am your master and it is your duty to obey only _my_ wishes. Get out of my sight. All of you!"

The Death Eaters paused for a moment, watching the disgraced Malfoy crawl out of the chamber, then followed him. They had escaped the wrath of their master this time at least.

Voldemort turned his attention to the girl now swaying on her feet before him.

"Hermione Granger," he stated.

The girl merely glared at him.

"Answer me! Is that your name?" The thing that had once been a man knew the answer of course, but he needed to test her resolve.

Hermione stood silently before him.

Voldemort stood and slowly stalked around her, looking her up and down.

"Gryffindor courage." He muttered. "Helpful, I suppose. It will be useful to us..."

"I'll never help you!"

"Ah, she _can_ talk," said the Dark Lord almost jovially. "It is time you learned that courage and good intentions can only get you so far, Hermione. I can show you the way to the glory I _know_ you want. You are going to help me, and you are going to enjoy it. Obliviate!"

* * *

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was in turmoil.

Teachers were running here and there, dodging past the panicking Hufflepuffs to restrain the furious Gryffindors from going after their stolen friend. The Ravenclaws had retreated to the sidelines and were watching the unfolding scene with horror.

The only calm house was Slytherin, whose inhabitants were simply annoyed that the graduation party seemed to have ended. They had taken food back to their common room, and had continued to celebrate, using the kidnap of a Gryffindor as an extra reason to have a party.

Morning finally arrived, and Professor McGonagall made her way to the Gryffindor common room to find a subdued Harry and Ron sitting staring blankly into the fire.

"I think that you should come to the Headmaster's office with me, boys."

When they arrived there, they found Hermione's parents and Albus Dumbledore sitting waiting for them in silence.

"The Grangers have not yet been informed of the actual occurrences at the graduation party yet. I myself am not completely clear as to what exactly happened. I know this must upset you, but could you tell us what you remember happening?"

Harry and Ron looked at each other for a moment, before Harry said in a tired voice, "There isn't really much to tell. We were at the party, and then the Death Eaters burst in. I have no idea who it was behind the masks. They grabbed Hermione, and were gone before I could even get to my wand."

"Ronald, can you add anything to that?"

"No. I'm sorry."

The red haired boy looked utterly miserable. His head was bowed, and he was fiddling with the velvet box holding the engagement ring he had been planning to give to Hermione at the end of the party.

At that moment, the door of the office slammed open, Professor Snape stormed in.

"He won't-" he started, before taking in the group of people staring silently up at him.

"Sit down, Severus."

Dumbledore watched as the man stood uncertainly for a moment, then threw himself into an armchair. Once he had finally settled, the old man spoke again. "Tell us what you know."

"You want me to tell everyone?"

"They all have a right to know. I am sure that they already know of the part you play in the war."

The dark haired man rubbed his eyes, and sighed.

"I don't know much, but I think that Miss Granger is alive at the moment. The Dark Lord seemed angry when Malfoy hurt her, so I would have to assume that he does not mean to kill her."

"What do you think he _does_ want with her?"

"I don't know. Maybe he plans to use her in a ransom, or as a source of inside information about the Order of the Phoenix. He doesn't seem to want to tell anyone his purpose with her."

"Is that all you can tell us?"

"Yes."

"Mr and Mrs Granger, I assure you that we will search for your child, and do all we can to return her to you. I am afraid, however, that this is all that may be promised for the time being. Mr Potter and Weasley, you may return to your common rooms."

Severus Snape watched the boys left the room, then wearily stood himself, leaving Dumbledore and the Grangers alone.

* * *

The Dark Lord was not as active as was expected over the next two years. Although there were a number of raids and attacks on muggles, Hogwarts was left alone, and Voldemort himself rarely made appearances.

It was with surprise, therefore, that Severus found himself at a meeting for all of the Death Eaters in a graveyard one summer's night.

Instead of the normal circle formed at such meetings, it appeared to be taking the form of a rally of sorts, Voldemort himself standing elevated on a tombstone.

"I am sure that you have been wondering about the cause for my absence over the last two years," started the man. "I shall now explain all.

"No doubt you are all familiar with the prophecy involving myself and a certain Harry Potter." Voldemort waited for the growls and hisses of the crowd to die down. "I have taken time to prepare for this event, and have been training a replacement in the unlikely event that the boy should triumph."

The people in the crowd began to murmur, and the noise level suddenly raised to a roar as a woman stepped up on the tombstone.

Deep brown curls framed a perfect face, which was calm and composed, taking in what may one day be hers. She stood proudly next to Voldemort, as if it was the place she belonged.

The noise of the crowd faded to a hush.

"Let me introduce you to Hermione, my Dark Princess."


	2. Chapter Two

Disclaimer: I own nothing, neither characters nor plot. It would be pointless trying to sue me. (Disclaimers may also go downhill in future chapters- don't sue me for that either.)

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****

**Chapter Two**

The noise of the crowd faded to a hush.

"Let me introduce you to Hermione, my Dark Princess."

There was a brief silence as the Death Eaters thought about what their leader had just told them. A mudblood as the Dark Lord's next of kin? It seemed illogical- but then who were they to question His orders?

"To celebrate this new addition to our numbers, we will be having our first… game, shall we say."

Voldemort broke off with a smile.

"Would you like to do the honours, my dear?"

"If you wish, father." Hermione turned to look over the crowd below her, pausing briefly as her eyes passed over Severus. He was staring at her intently, something akin to disbelief on his face. She would have to look into that; all Death Eaters should be in awe of her, as they were of her father. This man was to be no exception. "Near here is a muggle boarding school, containing a few hundred children. We will go there now. They are yours to do whatever you want with."

This cold statement was enough for the woman to gain the trust of the Death Eaters. As the 'Princess' turned and began to lead the procession to the unfortunate place, all followed her without complaint.

Voldemort's face twisted into what could only have been a smile.

Severus trudged along at the back of the procession, trying to swallow down the bile that was trying to rise in his throat. _Father_? What was wrong with the girl? Surely she couldn't be serious….

That was it. Granger must have spent the last two years acting, pretending that she had been converted to the Dark Side. Her renowned brain must have come up with a plan at some point... That was the obvious answer. It was the only answer.

A brief time later found the party at the gates of the school.

Hermione turned to look at the Death Eaters, her face unreadable, one delicate hand outstretched. She swivelled and, without even the use of a wand or an incantation, blasted the gates away. She turned back to the crowd behind her with a smile. "Enjoy."

At these words, there was a roar and the Death Eaters surged forwards.

Minutes later, the screaming began.

Severus, sending the occasional blast from his wand for appearance's sake, made his way towards Hermione. She was standing by the remains of a wall, watching the one sided fight between adult and child taking place. He noted that she was not joining in._ Foolish girl _, he thought. _She must at least pretend that she wants to take part in this, or she will give the game away and the act will all be for nothing. I should warn her…  
_  
Without thinking, he turned to Hermione and spoke.  
  
"Miss Granger."

A blank stare greeted him.  
  
"Who is Miss Granger?"  
  
"You!"  
  
"I have no surname. Who did you _think_ you were addressing?"  
  
"Come on girl, of course you have a surname. You might want to take an active part in this whole… thing. Make it convincing. Honestly, I have no idea how you lasted this long without being caught."  
  
"I'm afraid I have no idea what you are talking about." Hermione gave the man before her a calculating stare. "I refuse to participate in this folly… it is a waste of time, and my efforts are not needed. This is simply for _their_ pleasure. Besides, I don't want to dirty myself with muggles. Why are you not taking part, Mr…?"  
  
"Severus Snape. But you already knew that, Miss Granger, sothat is not the point. I have much to discuss with you…" Severus waved his wand, and Hermione felt a glamour rise around them.  
  
"An illusion to make it sound like we are discussing a rather irrelevant topic. Tell me, why are you doing this?"  
  
Looking back, Severus would never understand why he did not spot it from the start. He could have blamed it on his hope that Hermione had not turned against him, on his trust that she would never fall in league with the Dark Lord, even as a temporary loos of insanity, but there was no real excuse for why he still fell for it.  
  
"Hermione, we can talk properly now. How have you been faring? The sacrifice that you have made for us all…"  
  
"Faring? Sacrifice? Please explain yourself… _Severus_." Hermione said his name slowly, carefully pronouncing each syllable.  
  
Finally, Severus realised what had happened. But it was too late. His traitor mouth refused to obey him, would not stop speaking.  
  
"Spying on Voldemort for the Order, of course."  
  
"Ah yes, of course. How could I forget?" Hermione's face was unreadable. "I forget after all this time… what part do you play in this whole foolish game."  
  
"I act as a double agent, relaying Voldemort's actions to Dumbledore. He will be so happy to hear from you again," said the man promptly

Suddenly, Severus felt a fog that he had not even noticed in his head clear.

"What just happened? What did you do?"  
  
"A loosetongue spell."  
  
He was a fool. That spell had been cast on him so often before, yet he had fallen for it at last. At that moment, Severus Snape realised that he was worse than dead.

"But you have no wand, and you didn't say anything…"  
  
"You think I need wands and words? I have progressed so far past that now."  
  
Suddenly Severus felt what seemed like a ton of bricks fall onto his shoulders. This was not the Hermione Granger that he had watched grow. This was someone- some_thing _completely different.  
  
"I have no idea who you think I am, but I think you should come with me."

Severus tried to resist as the woman walked on, tried to flee, but was drawn irresistibly to her.  
  
Hermione walked slowly across the wreckage of the school, stepping delicately over the bodies of the children sprawled over the floor without giving them a second glance. Severus noticed that the woman before him showed no sign of sadness or shame about what had just happened in her honour.  
  
Finally, she stopped in front of her 'father'. Severus found himself kneeling before the man, his face touching the ground at his feet. A sweet, clear voice sounded in his ears.  
  
"Father, I have a gift for you."  
  
"Gift, my dear? How could Severus be a gift?"  
  
"Becuase he is a spy for the Order of the Phoenix."

* * *

Dun dun duuuuuuuuuuuuuun.  
  
**Any comments would be very helpful. And compliments will be rewarded with cookies. Any flames will be happily received and used to toast marshmallows on. Please review! If this chapter confuses anyone, email me at ****. Actually, you can email me if you're not confused, I don't mind. I am re-uploading this chapter because I think something went wrong with my first try as I couldn't seem to find it.  
**  
Now for the thanks- I will start by saying that this was the most reviews I have ever had for one chapter, and I would gladly marry the writers of every one of them.  
  
Thanks to:  
  
MoonAssasin13,  
  
Silly bandit- I spend most of my life hyper- read my other running fic, Gift of the Dark Lord, 'cos it kinda shows!  
  
Heartnut- fast forwards show my lack of patience. Same applies to how the attack in the Great Hall worked- I wanted to get the fic started. For this reason, the whole fic may move along very quickly. As you have just seen, things are not quite working out on the Dark Prince front for Sevvy, although you did give me an idea which you may spot in a few chapters. Also, I am a solo writer, as I write when I feel like it so don't bother with a beta. Thanks for the long review!  
  
Nore- strange is just how I like things!  
  
Mis3y  
  
Moviebuff101  
  
Artemic Moonclaw- you are officially the first person I know to call anything NEATO! Lol!  
  
Christieanne-Anna  
  
Arien Astera- thanks for the plot. I intend to abuse Ron a little, I think. He annoys me (is attacked by Ron fangirls).  
  
Fabioandtheduck- great fics, but I am kinda not a fan of Ron and Luna, so I got a bit stuck.  
  
Angelic-sinner  
  
Franflutewitch  
  
Squashes- hey, I thought you were beginning to appreciate the joy of being left on edge? Heh heh heh… ahem. 

Sammi- evil is fuuuuun  
  
Hugs to you all!  
  
_Also, I am a little confused. If any of you are American, could you tell me if you are back at school yet, and if so, when you broke up. I know this is random, but I am curious._  
  
_**R&R PLEASE!**_


	3. Chapter Three

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sob. See look, now I'm crying. Reviews make me feel better (hint hint)!

**My main AN will be at the end, but I just want to clear something up- Sev was stupid and said things he shouldn't have because he was under a spell, and was not in real control of his tongue. Sorry for not making it clearer. **

* * *

**Chapter Three**

"Father, I have a gift for you."  
  
"Gift, my dear? How could Severus be a gift?"  
  
"Because he is a spy for the Order of the Phoenix."

The was a deafening silence for a moment, which was abruptly broken as the Dark Lord threw his head back and let out a loud, harsh laugh.

"Why Severus, you had me fooled!" he said. "And brought down, not by me, but by a child. Oh, the irony!"

"What are we going to do with him?" asked Hermione, without even looking at the man on the floor at her feet.

Voldemort did not answer his adopted daughter immediately. Finally making up his mind, he said, "We will have a game. You have not yet seen what happens to people that defy me. But Severus has," he said venomously, kicking the soon to be ex-spy, "haven't you?"

Severus made no answer.

"_Crucio_!"

Hermione watched impassively as the man before her screamed and writhed. When Voldemort lifted the spell, he lay still for a moment, then slowly raised himself up to look directly at her. Something about the way that he was staring at her made Hermione feel slightly uncomfortable. She was relieved when he turned his gaze onto her father.

"What have you done to her?"

"Done to her? I have not done anything to her, have I my dear?"

"Of course not."

"Nonsense," spat Severus. "Miss Granger -Hermione- was my student two years ago, with no intention of following you or joining your ranks. Of course you have done something to her!"

"Such defiance! You have some nerve," commented Voldemort.

"Of course I have nerve, my fate is already sealed. I have nothing to lose. Tell me- what did you do to her?"

"Father, I was never taught by this man. What is going on?" asked Hermione.

Voldemort froze for a fraction of a second, then looked directly at his 'daughter'.

"This man is a spy. He has made up a past for you, one in which you were one of his students, and you followed Dumbledore and had joined the Order of the Phoenix. I can assure you that it is all fabrication, made up simply to confuse you."

Hermione looked at the man she called her father, then down to the man at her feet.

"What are you planning to do to him?" she asked.

"Whatever you wish me to, my dear. We can have a hunt, a burning, anything you choose."

The woman stood for a moment, thinking.

"What does he claim to have taught me in this 'past'?"

"Potions."

"You never taught me any more than the basic potions."

"I regret I never had the time."

Hermione paused again.

"Did he make potions for you, father?"

"Yes, my dear."

"Is he any good at them?"

"Yes, my dear, though I hate to say it. One of the best."

"I want him."

"Pardon?" Voldemort seemed surprised, something that nobody had ever seen happen before.

"Are you forgetting, father, that today is my birthday?"

Severus could not help but smile sadly. Voldemort had changed the date of Hermione's birthday from September to graduation night- the day she had been taken from them.

"I can give you anything for a gift. Why would you want _him_ for a slave? I can get you far better ones."

"I don't want him as a slave. I want him to teach me potions. Come now father, what else would I want him for?"

Voldemort sat thoughtfully for a moment, as Hermione and Severus waited in silence for his final decision.

"You can take him. But make sure to confiscate his wand, and only let him have it when you are supervising him. That man is dangerous- don't allow any of his lies to lead you astray."

"Yes, father. Thank you."

Voldemort nodded to Hermione, and gave Severus a glare which could easily be interpreted. _You escaped this time due to chance. Don't try anything- it won't happen again._

As Hermione swept away, Severus dragged himself to his feet and hurried after her.

They soon passed out of the grounds of the school, and arrived back at the graveyard. Severus watched Hermione as she bent down, brown curls hiding her face from view, and touched one of the gates of the tombs. The gate swung easily open at her touch, and she calmly walked inside. When Severus hesitated, she glared at him and he hurried in behind her.

As soon as he entered, the gate swung shut and the inside of the tomb began to shift. Finally, Severus found himself in a large room made entirely of stone. Along its walls were many doors.

"These are my quarters. You are only allowed access to two of these rooms." Hermione pointed her finger at two of the doors, and they swung open.

"This is to be your bedchamber." The woman gestured to the first room. It was of a good size, and comfortably furnished in shades of deep red and black. It appeared that there was some Gryffindor left in Hermione, much as she wanted to ignore it. "You will not leave this chamber unless I give you permission. There is a bathroom leading off it, which is also yours."

She moved on to the room next to it. "This is the laboratory, where we will be working. You will only go there when I give you permission to do so." The room that she had opened seemed bare- it held just one table, with a cauldron on it. To one side was a door, which Severus assumed lead to the store cupboard.

Hermione now turned back to the room that they were standing in, and conjured up two chairs.

"Give me your wand." She held out your hand, and hesitantly Severus placed his wand in it. Without saying any more, Hermione sat down in one of the chairs. She looked pointedly at Severus, who sat down carefully in the other.

"Come now, Severus, why so worried? You are alive, after all."

"Miss Granger-" The woman's eyes flashed. "Hermione. Thank you for sparing me, I-"

"Leave your thanks, or I will kill you now. I only spared you because I want to know about the past you seem to think that I have. Tell me everything that you believe you know of me."

Severus paused for a moment, confused, then began to talk. He told her of her friends, her family (what he knew of it), the classes she had taken and even the grades she had got in them.

It surprised him a little that he had paid such attention to the girl- but then, it was rare that he found any student worth his time. He would never have told Hermione this, but he had always admired her intellect, even though her choices in life and friends had always left what he felt as much to be desired.

Some time later, with a hoarse throat, he finished. Hermione looked at him in with what appeared to be amusement.

"I find it hard to believe that if I am indeed a mudblood, and a friend of Harry Potter, that Voldemort would make me his successor. Why would he choose me? Now, I am sure that your story was very well planned, and it must have taken great intelligence to come up with it, but unfortunately I am not fooled.

"I am a pureblood, the daughter of Voldemort, and not of some muggle fools. My best friend could never have been Harry Potter, because I would not associate myself with people such as him."

"So what are you going to do with me now?"

"What do you mean? You are going to teach me potions. I have installed a spell in your chambers that allows you access to any book that you could possibly need for research."

"Thank you. That will be very useful."

"Indeed it will be. You will research complicated potions for me. And ones that I will use, not stupid little things like an advanced cleaning potion."

"Of course."

"And you had better research it well. I don't like having people lie to me, even if they believe that they are doing for 'the good of the world'. When you run out of things to teach me, I am going to kill you."

Hermione smiled sweetly at the man that had paled before her. Severus sat frozen in his chair, unable to believe that the interminably _nice_ girl that he had used to teach had just said that.

The woman that sat staring at her teacher-to-be frowned.

"Why are you still sitting here?" she asked. "If I were you, I would go and start looking."

Severus stood up at once, and with a last sad look at the person he had once known, hurried from the room.

* * *

**AN: I know that I am updating more frequently than I said I could, but that will not last long, sadly- this will be my last update for at least a fortnight as I am going away, and then school starts (but I will try to keep to one update per week). **

Wow. I just can't get over the response that I have been receiving for this fic. Thanks so much, all of you!

Thanks for filling me in about the America thing- I was just confused because people were talking about it and I don't go back for weeks. I like being a Brit!

As people are beginning to notice, I am unable to resist writing cliffies, so there will be plenty to come. I apologise in advance!

Xmaverickf14x

Heartnut

Squashes

Winter blaze- I can't kill him off (not yet anyway... heh heh)! He's Snape!

Arabella

Jojo

Christieanne-anna- you will see!

Artemis MoonClaw

Grangerhermione

Just me- thanks about the plot- but not mine, sadly

Nici1807- you're welcome!

Anno

**__**

**_PLEASE R&R!_**


	4. Chapter Four

Disclaimer: Oh come on. Go figure.

Hello my pretties! I'm back! And I'm just a little bit high, so any... oddness in the fic I will attribute to that! Anyhoo, on with the chapter!

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**Chapter Four**

Severus woke up in a strange room. Instantly alert, he sprang to his feet, scrabbling around on the top of one a nearby table for his wand. It was nowhere to be found. Taking slow, deep breaths, the man tried to calm himself and remember where exactly he was.

"Oh bugger."

He remembered. Fumbling around the dark room, the ex-spy finally found some matches (a useful muggle thing that Hermione had just randomly 'thought of', no doubt) and lit a few candles.

Looking around, memories of the previous night came flooding back to him. Every tiny, awful detail.

"Oh _bugger_."

Dumbledore had always told him this would happen. He had offered to let him stop, said that he had done more than enough and could have a rest now. Hell, he had even said that he would arrange somewhere that he could hide in safety until the war was over. Yet he had refused, said that he would carry on what he was doing. He was such a fool.

On a beautiful mahogany desk to one side of the room was a pile of parchments. Severus remembered looking frantically through the books that had appeared when he thought of them, searching for the potions that would prolong whatever time he had left.

_Why?_ He thought to himself. _Why am I even doing this? I should just refuse to teach her, let her kill me..._

But he knew that he would not, could not do it. Whether it was self preservation presiding over the knowledge of what was right, or simply the hope that maybe there was some trace of the old Hermione Granger in the woman in the nearby room, but he could not just give up and accept death.

On top of the parchments lay a blank sheet of paper. Cautiously, Severus picked it up and turned it over. There was nothing on it. But the parchment was certainly not his. Who would leave him a blank piece of parchment? Suddenly, words appeared on it, printed in a neat, precise hand.

**You are to wash yourself, then dress in the spare robes that have been left in the wardrobe. That means that all of that revolting grease will be _removed_ from your hair. After that, the door will open. You will select the potion we shall be working on today, and come into the laboratory immediately. **

_Control freak_, thought Severus, absently running his hand through his hair. He strode into the bathroom, and looked at it in the mirror. Was it really that greasy? He hadn't thought so, but then it appeared that what he thought mattered little now. He supposed that the new, more powerful Hermione would have had no problem with telling him exactly what she thought of him. After all, why should she care if she offended him?

Half an hour later (Severus had taken a quick shower, changed and then found that the door was still locked, so had had to wash his hair and repeat the whole process again), he found himself standing by the door of the laboratory, watching Hermione moving around inside it.

As he watched the woman set up her potions ingredients in neat rows, alphabetically ordered, on the desk, Severus thought about how much that she had changed. She still had her old eagerness to learn- why else would she have spared him? What was new was the air of confidence, even arrogance, that surrounded her like a cloak. Watching her move around was strangely hypnotic, and his eyes followed her around the room. No longer did she glance nervously around for her friends to check that all was well. She was independent. A woman without fear.

_A _beautiful_ woman without fear_, Severus added to himself. At the beginning of her seventh year, he had begun to notice this pleasant change to the appearence of the girl. All in all, not a bad person to have in his class. Much as he had taken pleasure from taunting her, and loath as he was to admit it, he had grown to respect her.

And that had certainly reflected in his treatment of Misters Potter and Weasley, he recalled. Severus had been furious at them, Weasley in particular, angry at the treasure that their clumsy hands had held but not appreciated. They had not deserved her. And the angrier he had been at them, the more Hermione had hated him on their behalf. Life was just too cruel.

"I suggest that you stop staring, Severus. You are here to teach me, not to watch me, thrilling as I am sure that it must be."

_Damn._

"I was merely noting how you set up your potions. Useful as alphabetical order is, you have just put very dangerous potions down directly next to each other. Look there, if just a dribble had escaped from both of these bottles, both you and this laboratory would no longer be in existence."

"So what would you suggest that I do instead?" asked Hermione almost petulantly. "And you have no right to talk to me like that." She added as an afterthought.

"You leave gaps between bottles." Said Severus slowly, showing clearly how painfully obvious he thought that this fact was. No matter how he felt about the woman before him, it was imperative that he was not lenient. Some degree over control must be shown somehow, no matter how small it was.

Hermione had turned to glare at him. A moment later, her gaze returned to the row of bottles in question. There was a quiet scraping noise as they separated themselves on the table, each bottle now exactly an inch awway from the next.

_Wandless magic_, thought Severus. _What that could do for the Order of the Phoenix... or, more likely, to it._

The woman was watching him again, waiting for his judgement.

"Don't use magic to move ingredients. If a lid had been loose, anything could have happened. This is not the place for showing off, as impressive as you may believe it to be."

Hermione's eyes flashed black with anger, and Severus immediately worried that he had overdone it.

"You are here to teach me. You have no right to insult me, and are clearly forgetting the debt you owe to me at this moment in time, and indeed for as long as you live. I saved your life. I can take it from you whenever I choose. Why did you even think for a moment that you had the right to address me like that?"

Severus was silent for a moment, then spoke to her quickly and quietly.

"Because what I told you was right. Because it may save your life one day. Because I taught you potions for almost seven years, and know how to talk to you to make you listen. Here is the potion you shall be working on today. You may get to work." He waved a piece of parchment at her, then took a seat by the table and watched her next actions.

Hermione looked at the man that had dared to answer her back for the first time in shock. She could not remember the last time somebody had dared to do that. What stung her was that he was right, as well. He _did_ know how to make her listen. He probably knew now just how much she wanted to prove to him that she was capable, make him praise her, not greet every action with a correction.

Hermione's pride cried out to her to hurt Severus, to do something to prove him wrong, and make him see that she did not care about his opinion.

Her traitor hands, however, grabbed eagerly for the instructions he had just put on the table. She knew that her eyes were lighting up with the prospect of knowledge. She would prove him wrong some other time.

A few hours later found a pale green potion simmering quietly in its couldron on the desk. Hermione straightened triumphantly. Her excitant at having brewed the potion perfectly was infantile, she knew, but she did not really care. She turned to look at the man sitting on a chair beside her.

He was staring at her face, apparently lost in thought.

_Just like he was earlier_, she thought. Although she was not sure how comfortable she was at being the subject of such deep thinking, it was certainly something different. Most of the people she met did not really think for themselves much- she ordered them to do something, and they obeyed. Although at first that power had been exhilarating, it soon grew dull. It was rather refreshing to find somebody that could think and speak for themself.

What made her feel a little uncomfortable was the way that he was looking at her. He seemed to be doing quite well at hiding his feelings (after all, he was a spy, so should be able to do that pretty well), but that did not stop her having at least an idea of what he was feeling. After all, she knew how dangerous it was to show her feelings, so was an expert in only showing what she wanted others to see. The advantage of this was that she had become able to spot what they in turn wanted to hide.

Severus seemed to be trying to hide sadness. And she was very clearly what he was sad about. But if he felt anything about her, it should only be fear! After all, he did not know anything about her, apart from how powerful she was. Because he had _not_ been her teacher, no matter what he tried to tell her. He was just trying to confuse her.

But still....

Severus finally managed to jerk himself out of his reverie.

"Have you finished?"

"Yes. What a stupid question."

He stood and looked at her potion. It was, of course, perfect.

"It will do, I suppose. You brewed it too slowly."

Hermione glared at him. Severus scowled back.

* * *

Thanks to all my lovely reviewers! HINT: there is a little purple button that you can all press to become one of them! Make my day!

Proofreader7777- as I said last chap, Snape did not give himself away on purpose- he was under a spell that he did not detect, and was not in complete control of himself. Leave the reason that Voldemort chose Hermione to me- I (or rather he) know what he is doing! Hermione is a Princess because she is not as high a rank as Voldie, but I don't know a step down from Lord. So I was thinking more King and Princess type thing.. Hope that cleared everything up for you!

Elnora- reading in class? Tut tut... lol! I hate losing stories- it's a pain. Interesting comparison, although I'm not completely sure if I understand it.

Stargazer starluver- I think Snape was feeling a little daze last chapter. However, the snark is back! (I feel like I'm talking about Star Wars, for some reason. Episode Whateveer: The Snark Strikes back. Or maybe Return of the Snark. Oooh, Lord of The Rings. Ramble ramble....)

Xmaverickf14x- Italy! Wow, that is a COOL place to study! Enjoy!

Squashes- sorry I forgot you! I honestly thought I had written your bit! I'm soooooooooorry! Forgive me!

Sophianwin- sorry about the errors- I have no beta, so there are bound to be a fair few!

MagicalGirl- thanks! However, I am sad to say that the storyline isn't mine- it's a plot bunny from ArienAstera that I borrowed.

Don't Tell Harry- ha ha! Return of the twinkle! Thanks for... Lord knows how many reviews! 8?

Mourn-today, Sarahamanda, Xx-Psycho-xX, BunnieDevil, Jewlz, Winter Blaze, Christieanna-anna, Goth Princess, Artemis MoonClaw, Miss3y, Angelfish2, Lover Not a Fighter.

Toodles!

PLEASE REVIEW!


	5. Chapter Five

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling. If I was, then this would have been in all the shops and I would be rich, rich beyond my wildest dreams... (trails off into happy daze)

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**Chapter Five**

A few days later found Hermione in the laboratory creating a blood boiling potion. Severus watched as she slid light dragon hide gloves onto her elegant fingers, then took out her ingredients and began to work.

He could not fault her on this- the merest touch of the blood boiling potion on a person's bare skin would be fatal. The potion instantly seeped through the skin and into the body, rushing through the veins and arteries. Carelessness in a situation like this would mean a slow, painful death.

Although no doubt Hermione was aware of this, the woman did not falter. The potion was completed in record time, and when she finally handed it to him, lethal perfection in a bottle, he could not fault it.

Severus opened his mouth, paused, closed it again and gave the beautiful woman before him a terse nod. He then turned away to add it to the growing store of flawless potions in a set of shelves built into the wall.

"That's it?" Hermione asked him, calm voice shaking slightly with anger.

"Yes. What else is there?"

"No corrections? No insults? Nothing?" Severus looked up, searched his mind for some kind of derogatory comment, and found nothing. He could fault nothing- neither potion nor creator. _Especially not creator_, he thought with an inward sigh.

"So why do I not deserve any praise?"

With these words, Hermione had inadvertently made a breakthrough. Severus Snape had not been unable to answer a question since... well, since his early teens.

"That was a question, Severus," said Hermione dangerously, "and I expect an answer."

"I..." he started. "I don't know, really. Habit, I suppose."

Hermione stared at the man that was looking at the ground, avoiding her eyes. She too was slightly unsure of what to say next. This, however, was not due to lack of things to say but from the actions to choose from.

Should she sternly remind him that he had never taught her before, and lose the advantage that she seemed to be holding him at this precise moment in time? Or should she just go along with whatever he was saying, and find out more about this fantasy world he always seemed on the verge of telling her about

The woman decided eventually to do the latter. After all, he could slip, and then she would be able to have many a laugh as his expense.

"Why did you never praise me in this past that you beleive exists?"

Severus found that this new Hermione that the Dark Lord had engineered seemed to have a very unpleasant habit of asking him questions that he could not answer. The only solution that his mind could provide was the simple, unpleasant truth; that he should have praised her more.

"You associated with people I did not like. I have no better explanation. You will forgive me."

"Possibly. Will you start to praise my work now?"

Thinking quickly, he decided that the least he could do was turn the situation around, so that he at least was on the offensive.

"Because no matter what you do, no matter how perfect, what you want it for can never be so. You have been making a series of potions that can only be used for evil purposes. You want praise because it encourages you, makes you feel that what you are doing is good. It is not. I will not encourage the actions of a person like you."

Hermione gasped. Nobody had ever insulted her like that before.

"I will have you killed! You cannot speak to me like that!"

"But of course," sneered the man, "have me killed. You are nothing but a spoilt princess used to getting her own way. You need to learn that any person with sense and dignity will see you for what you are. If you saved me because you just wanted another person to worship you, then I don't know what you are waiting for. Do what you will."

Hermione stood, shaking in rage, for just one moment. Then, with a shriek of fury, she flung her hands above her head.

Severus was jerked into the air like a puppet with its strings being pulled. He slammed into the wall, and Hermione head a loud 'crack' as his head collided with it. He slid down the wall to fall to the ground with a thud, then lay still.

* * *

Hermione paused for a moment, breathing heavily, watching the body as it lay on the ground.

Swaying slightly, she made her way over to it, and prodded it with one of her feet.

It did not move.

She bent down and touched the cold skin of Severus's face.

He lay still.

As she watched, a trickle of blood slowly ran down his forehead, stark again the flawless white skin.

She had killed him.

Tears came unbidden to her eyes, and she tilted her head back slightly in an attempt to stop them falling. She had killed him.Hermione sat on the floor beside him for a few moments, repeating that phrase in her head, putting it different ways each time.

_I killed him. He's dead. I murdered him...._

Hermione had killed before, of course. Voldemort, ever the loving father, had provided mudbloods and muggles of all ages, sexes, shapes and sizes. She had tortured and killed them without hesitating.

She thought back to how they had looked, cowering before her, screaming and jerking on the floor and then, eventually, lying still.

They had not mattered to her. She had thought of them the same way as she did the beef that she ate for her dinner; meaning nothing to her personally, just the faint knowledge that what had once been alive was no longer so.

Severus was different. She had known him, even if only for a few days. And he had said one (admittedly now small) thing to anger her, and she had killed him for it.

A sick feeling of guilt slowly rose in her stomach, and suddenly she began to pray that by some chance she had been mistaken, that he was not dead. Hermione leant over the man once again, and touched a finger to his cold neck.

_One, two, three... _she counted, hoping that on one beat she would feel a movement beneath her fingers, something to tell her that he was somehow alive.

_Four- _there! The tiniest beat, but enough to reassure her that something could be done. Hermione was a very competent healer. Voldemort had taught her how to heal all types of injuries. After all, it could save either herself or even him one day. Death was the only thing that she could not change.

Slowly, so as not to cause any more damage, Hermione levitated the limp body from the ground. She carefully guided it back into Severus's room, taking care to set it down on the bed as gently as she could.

Sitting beside him, she gently moved his no longer greasy hair aside, and muttered spells that would heal the crack that the impact of the wall had caused on his head. Closing her eyes, she sensed the pain and the hurt in his body and focused on chasing it all away.

Finally, Hermione whispered a waking spell and Severus sat up with a start.

* * *

The last thing that Severus Snape had expected to see in his life were the angry eyes of his ex-student. When he woke to those same eyes, now carefully empty of emotion once more, he could not have been more surprised.

"I thought that you were going to kill me."

Hermione paused.

"I never meant to kill you, just teach you a lesson." She very much hoped that her eyes _did_ betray nothing of her emotions. "You have much more to teach me. I think... I think I will go now. I expect to see you in class tomorrow."

She stood and quickly left the room.

Severus lay back on his pillows with a smile. The incident, apart from showing that he needed to be far more careful, had taught him a very important thing; Voldemort had failed. No matter how much he brainwashed her, now matter what he said, Hermione would never really change.

Even now she probably had no idea why she was behaving as she did. After all, she was sure to have been taught to kill in cold blood. But she was still the same person at heart that she had always been, and in the end, that was all that mattered.There was still hope...

* * *

Hermione paced her room, trying to clear her mind. There was something wrong with her, some spell that the man had cast somehow. All that she knew was that when she had looked into those dark eyes when Severus had awoken, her heart had sung.

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**Hello all. I have just one thing to say in this note, and that is that because of school, updating is getting harder to keep up with since I have two fics on the go. Holding that is regard, it is possible that I may only be able to update this fic every other week. HOWEVER, I am going to do my best to update every week as promised before. Just don't be mean if I don't! **

_Hint: reviews=happy me=eager me to write more=faster update=happy you. Geddit? _

Now onto the thanks!

Elnora- I GET IT! That is such a clever thing to pick up! I would so not have got that. Very interesting insight. You must actually be thinking when you read this! Thanks!

Stargazer starluver- thanks! Are you happy with this lot?

Squasher- I could never go wrong? Aww, that's so sweet.

Niko goldeye

Fan-rei- Hermione is not too harsh on Sev because a) he has stuff to teach her, and b) although she has been brainwashed, she is still intrinsically the same person she always was. She was keeping up appearances earlier, and gaining respect, but in general she is not too harsh a person.

Lover Not a Fighter- thanks! Being high is fun, although not the mood I really write this fic in. My other running fic I can only write when high- it just doesn't flow otherwise!

Sophianwin- er, hate to tell you this but a romance is the only category I can actually put this fic into. I am still unsure as to what to put for the second. I would have written it as a mentor relationship if I could have done, but I want to take this plot places, and, since I am inpatient, I am doing it relatively speedily, so the relationship sort of has to be a bit basic.

Christieanne-anna

**I've written this fic for you. Now please can you all do your bit and REVIEW! **

Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter Six

_Disclaimer: own nothing. All characters and places belong to J K Rowling, who is quite obviously not me. Oh what I would do if I had all that money... _

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**Chapter Six**

The next morning found Severus once again in the potions laboratory with Hermione, brewing a hideously difficult potion that required two people on hand to complete it accurately.

As they stood side by side, hands poised above the cauldron ready to add the first two ingredients to the already boiling water, a loud hissing noise filled the dungeon.

"What is it? There is nothing in the potion that should be hissing as yet, and I can't see-"

"If you are quiet then I will be able to tell you what the noise is," interrupted Hermione calmly. She reached to her neck and tugged at a silver chain that lay around it. Severus caught sight of a pendant on it, an image that looked familiar...

Hermione grasped that Dark Mark that hung around her neck, one hand closing around the shining ivory skull and the glittering emerald encrusted serpent that protruded from its mouth as if she handed things of such value and beauty every day.

_But then,_ thought Severus, _she probably does._

Hermione raised the pendant until the snake was level with her face. Severus realised with shock that it was the source of the hissing noise, and that Hermione appeared to be listening to it.

"My father has invited me to his quarters for a chat." Severus snorted at the idea of the Dark Lord wanting a 'chat', but was silenced with a warning look from Hermione. Yesterday's incident was still fresh in his mind. "You will return to your room until I summon you again."

"But what about the potion? And how did you understand what the snake said, because you certainly aren't a parseltongue." (AN: correct spelling?)

"The hissing was not actually the language of snakes," Hermione informed Severus, not completely sure why she was telling him classified information but doing so anyway. "It sounded just like normal speech to me, the intended recipient, but there is a type of coding charm that stops any other people understanding it."

"Clever. I suppose you just tell everybody else that you are a parseltongue, then?"

"Of course," she replied with a smile.

Severus was silent for a moment as Hermione put out the fire burning under the as yet unmade potion. As they prepared to separate at the door to his room, he asked her,

"Why aren't you a pareseltongue yourself, then?"

Hermione froze, looking at him.

"The gift of understanding the language of the snakes is not passed on in every generation. I was missed out."

Hermione parroted out what her father had always told her without hesitation and a great deal of thought, having done so many times before.

"That isn't what I heard."

"Pardon?"

"The few lines blessed with the gift pass it on to every generation without fail. Otherwise, it would have died out many years ago."

"You must be mistaken," said Hermione slowly. "I will leave you now. Be a good little potions master while I am gone."

With that, she apparated with a pop and Severus found himself being propelled into his room. He looked behind him and saw the door close with a snap, locks on the outside immediately clicking into place.

Then something dawned on him.

_Hermione apparated,_ thought Severus with a smile. _Anything she can do...._

Severus waited for a moment to collect himself, then took a deep breath and apparated.

And then found himself being slammed back to the ground with a crack.

He stood up slowly, dusting himself off. Of course apparating out was not an option. Hermione probably had wards up around the quarters only allowing herself (and probably her 'father') to apparate in and out. In hindsight, it was a stupid thing to have even attempted.

* * *

Hermione smiled as she felt the anti-apparation wards that she had set up in her quarters being tested. _That man doesn't miss a trick_, she though. _It figures. _

She was standing outside Voldemort's public chamber, and had been doing so for a minute or two.

It was a game that they had; in a moment she would find some way of getting through the door undetected, and try to get herself as near as possible to her father before he sensed her presence.

Hermione whispered a quick spell to herself.

A moment later, an ant crept under the door of the room, slowly trundling towards the figure that was sitting in a deep, high-backed black chair.

"Accico ant."

As Hermione found herself flying through the air towards her father, she quickly changed form again. The fully grown woman elegantly landed on her feet on the floor, and, after the cursory nod from her father, took a seat in one of the other chairs in the room.

"Not up to your normal standard I must say, Hermione."

"I know, I know. I was a little preoccupied."

"You forgot that all but a couple of the wards in this room sense life forces in any form! How could you be preoccupied enough to forget _that_?"

Hermione could sense Voldemort's disappointment, and hung her head. Harsh as he was to all of his minions, he had always been kind to her and she hated to disappoint him.

"I am not sure. I assure you that it will not happen again."

"I hope that it doesn't. It is not fitting for a woman of your position to be caught off guard."

Hermione forgot her age for a moment and scowled openly at her father. He twisted his face back into what Hermione had come to understand as his look of amusement. With Voldemort, it was often very difficult to tell.

"So, daughter, how are you faring with your new teacher?"

"Not too badly. I have learnt a great deal already."

_Yes, _thought Hermione. _A great deal. But I think that there is much more that I need to find out. And not only about potions..._

Severus's comment about the reoccurrence of the gift for parseltongue was still running through her mind, though she knew that she could never ask her father about it.

She attempted to push her doubts from her mind, and focussed solely on the man in front of her.

"I felt a lot of anger coming from your quarters yesterday. What happened?"

"Severus insulted me. Don't worry, father, I put him back in his place."

"Good, good. You do know that I could have him killed and find you a new potions master in no time at all, don't you? I admit that they may not be quite up to Severus's standard, but I am sure that they would be passable."

"No, father," said Hermione quickly. "I am quite fine with Severus."

A pang ran through her at the thought of losing the man currently pacing in his room.

She told herself quickly that it was because she wanted to hear more of his interesting –but purely fictional, she reminded herself- tales.

Not because she liked him. Certainly not because she cared.

The daughter of the Dark Lord should only care about herself, her father, and power. Hermione wanted to be a good daughter. She would make him proud of her.

"Are you sure, Hermione?"

"Yes, father."

The man paused for a moment, then nodded in acceptance.

"Fair enough, if you really are certain. You may go back to him now, I suppose."

Hermione nodded, debated kissing the man on the cheek, then decided against it and apparated out of the room. Good daughter or not, there was always a small part of her that was sickened by her father, by what he had done to himself.

The small part that cried out against the killing and torture, against the constant fight against 'the light'.

The small part that she spent an inordinate amount of time pushing down.

Hermione sank into one of the armchairs back in her quarters, trying to empty her mind of all of these thoughts. They had troubled her occasionally before she had met Severus, but mattered little to her then; just a small attack of conscience she could easily overcome.

Now these attacks came at her from every direction all of the time; when she ate, when she spoke, even when she slept. They were slowly driving her mad.

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Voldemort sat in his chambers, lost in thought.

When Hermione had been in the room, he had felt her confusion, her pain in the aura that hung around her. She was already doubting the life that she believed she had always led.

He had known that one day, Hermione would find out who she truly was and leave his side. He had prepared for it, planning how he would dispose of her.

But he had not planned on it happening so soon, not even thought that she would have an influence as strong as Severus to help her on her way.

The potions master was certainly manipulative; he knew that much. How else would he have managed to survive among the Death Eaters for so long? But it was such a waste...

At least his lessons seemed to be holding out for the moment. She appeared to be in denial of her true heritage, at least for the time being. He had a little time left before he needed to act.

But what to do?

Voldemort sat in his chair for a number of minutes, turning over idea after idea in his head but immediately dismissing them one after another.

Finally, something came to him.

The Dark Lord's face twisted into a smile.

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_Hee hee, have a guess what happens next! I just had to do it- this fic has a distressing lack of my trademark cliffies, and I am not having it! I know its not a REAL cliffie- but it has the style of one, so there you go..._

Thanks to **Joani, niko goldeye** (I don't know him/her, sorry. I will read some of the stuff if I can find time.)** Heather, Christieanne-Anna, Jewlz, stargazer starluver, squashes**(I think squasher has a nice ring. And think of the possibilities...), **MagicalGirl, Don't Tell Harry** (what can I say? Er... thanks for the twinkles. Lol!), **annon,**** ClaireRickman, sophianwin** (I'm not a great writer, but I'm trying to improve. Thanks for taking the time to help me with this huuuuuge task!) and **Artemis MoonClaw .**_Lots of nice big internet cookies to you all!_

**Please take the time to review- tell me what you think I should improve, things you want to see more of, less of or have not seen at all. Please help me!**


	7. Chapter Seven

Disclaimer: I own nothing! Nada! Nil!

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**Chapter Seven**

Hermione, after pacing back and forth in front of Severus's door for a few minutes, decided that there was no chance of her regaining her composure enough to concentrate fully on a potion that day. She flicked a finger towards his door, and it swung quickly outwards.

She was amused to hear a quiet yelp a moment later, and stepped back to better see Severus unfolding himself from an ungainly heap on the floor.

"You were leaning against the door."

"What an astute observation," he replied sarcastically, brushing himself down after an unpleasant fall for the second time that day.

"Could I enquire why?"

"If you wish," replied Severus, and sat down gingerly on one of the chairs in the room, rubbing one of his shoulders.

Hermione debated punishing the man for having the audacity to sit down without her permission, then decided against it. She covered her slight discomfort at this sudden attack of conscience by making a fuss of arranging her robes as she sat down opposite the man.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Why were you leaning against the door? I did ask you, you know."

"You asked for permission to ask me. I merely granted it."

"I don't need to ask you for permission to do anything."

"Maybe not, but that is what you did."

"Do you really not understand rhetorical questions, or are you simply as stupid as I am beginning to believe you are?"

Hermione watched as Severus's eyes flashed, and he stiffened as if preparing to give an insolent reply that she would surely have to punish him for.

The prospect was nowhere near as appealing to Hermione as she would have wished it to be.

Fortunately for Hermione, the man appeared to remember his place, and instead replied with, "Actually, I prefer simply to ignore rhetorical questions- they annoy me."

Silence fell once again as Hermione weighed the options of refusing to ask Severus why he was leaning on the door, or asking him and letting him have the moral victory. Finally, she decided to change the subject- after all, who cared what the man liked to do when he was alone anyway?

Certainly not her.

She cared nothing for him at all. _Nothing. _

"I had a very entertaining talk with my father just now," she commented overly cheerfully.

Severus elegantly raised an eyebrow. "Oh you did, did you? With your _father_?"

Clearly Severus had noticed that she was not in the mood to punish him, so felt that he could take liberties with her.

_Well, _thought Hermione, _I think I will let it go today. Just today._

"Yes," she said. "_My father_ and I discussed current affairs."

"Which were?"

"You. Well, killing you."

That would tell him! Just a little something to remind in whose hands his life was held.

Hermione looked down at the hands in question, which she had unconsciously been twisting. Her fingers were currently knotted together in a configuration she had never known they would fit into.

It rather hurt.

Hermione fixed her eyes on Severus's face as she nudged the knot that was currently her hands against her knee until her fingers popped out of place and were free once more.

"And what was the verdict?"

"He was rather unimpressed by your current attitude and lack of respect to myself," Hermione paused to give the man a meaningful look, which he appeared not to notice, "but I told him that if he killed you now, then he would need to find me a new teacher. You are safe for the moment- providing that you don't try my temper too much."

Severus opened his mouth, no doubt to make another 'cutting' reply, when there was a loud knock at the door.

Hermione waved a hand at the door, and a man strode into the room. He nodded quickly at her, then sat himself down on one of the chairs.

"I had no idea you were coming to visit, Draco. What is the occasion?"

"Do I really need a reason to come and see you?" asked the blond boy, looking slightly offended.

"Of course not," replied the witch with a smile, "but had I known you were coming, I would have asked the elves to make a proper lunch. What we are about to have is rather plain."

"And you think I am the type that would care?"

"No. I _know_ you are the type that would care."

"Well! I don't think I will sit here just to be insulted." Draco stood, then quickly walked to a dining table that Severus had not noticed before in a corner of the room. He was accustomed to eating alone in his room. "I'm going to sit _here_ instead so that I can eat while I am insulted."

A few minutes later, the diners sat at the table eating bread with various cheeses and dips, Hermione and Draco chatting amicably. Severus was surprised at how pleasant Draco was being to Hermione.

As the conversation took its course, Severus sat in silence. It appeared that the friendship that Voldemort had designed between Draco and Hermione had spanned many years. Indeed, they spoke as if they had known each other all of their lives.

Severus was impressed at the depth of the fictional friendship, and at the credibility of Draco's part in it. An outsider would truly have believed that Draco actually liked Hermione, and been shocked to find out what he _really_ thought of her.

At the end of the meal, Hermione excused herself for a few minutes.

As soon as the door to one of her private rooms closed behind her, Draco turned to Severus, the charming mask gone to be replaced by a sneer.

"A spy all along? Why Severus, I expected better of you."

"You have no idea how sorry I am to disappoint you," he replied, making it clear that he was not the slightest bit sorry.

The beautiful face before Severus curved into a malicious smile.

"You can say whatever you like, Severus. You will get what is coming to you."

"I'm sure," said the man blandly. He would not allow himself to be angered by someone as unimportant as Draco.

"There is one thing I don't understand, though," said Draco slowly. "Why did you do it? Why work for Dumbledore? Why give up all the power? You could have had it all."

Severus could not stop himself- his sneer rivalled that of the Malfoy before him.

"Because I have a conscience, and I know what is right and wrong. I can see past what is right for me, and am doing what is right for others instead."

"You are happy to just sacrifice yourself, then? However did you become head of Slytherin?"

"The same way I managed to become a spy in the Dark Lord's inner circle. They call it intelligence- I doubt that you would recognise it." Draco's lip curled in response, and he opened his mouth to reply, but Severus had not finished. "What _does _impress me is how someone of your low level of intelligence managed to put up such a good act. I expect that it will take Hermione _weeks_ to see you for what you really are."

Draco's face twisted into a snarl. "One of the sayings of those muggles you so love is 'those in glass houses shouldn't throw stones'. Do you want to know how that translates into the wizarding world?"

Severus watched, suddenly apprehensive, as he pulled out his wand and pointed it at him.

"What _we_ say is 'unarmed wizards shouldn't insult those in possession of wands'. And do you remember the way we _real_ Death Eaters have of teaching people lessons?"

Predicting what was coming, Severus looked wildly around for something that he could hide behind. There was, of course, nothing. As he flung himself towards the nearest chair, he heard the most welcome sound that had ever reached his ears.

"Draco, what on earth are you doing?"

"You pet potions master insulted me, so I was going to teach him his place. Honestly, 'Mione, you have him so badly trained!"

"Please don't call me 'Mione, you know how much I hate that name."

At any other time, Severus would have noted that she had put up with it in the presence of the Weasleys and Potter, but not Malfoy, Currently, however, he was revelling in the joy of having all his limbs and breath in his body.

"_Now_ can I punish him?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because only I am allowed to punish him."

"But-"

"Stop acting like a child, Draco. I can do what I want with Severus. Actually, I would rather like to finish the potion we were working on earlier now. Would you mind leaving? I will see you properly another time."

After arguing with Hermione for a couple of minutes more, Draco turned and, with a final scowl at the dark haired man, left.

Hermione watched Draco out of the room, and stood thinking for a moment. Why had she done it? Why could she not bear to have harm done to the infernal potions master that she did not even like? What was wrong with her?

Severus watched as she suddenly straightened and shook herself, then followed her into the laboratory, smiling slightly.

_

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_Right, I have a bit of a plea here: I have started one of these new C2 Communities (come on, weren't you intrigued?), and it is basically a collection of the funniest fics I have ever read. But the catch is: I few staff, very few fics in it (although that is mainly because R rated things aren't allowed- ahem) and barely any members! So.... I would like to recruit! Anyone that wants to become a member of staff, or simply wants to recommend a fic or two, please email me (or leave your email ad in a review) and I'll get back to you! Please have a look and give me some feedback! Thanks for your help. _

I continue to be shocked at the response I am getting for this fic! I love you all! (I also love all my non-reviewers but followers anyway.)

Thanks to **Squashes **(aww, thanks... but I can always improve!), **Daniel-radcliffes-girl, sophianwin, **(er, sorry about the typo all comes from the lack of beta and spontaneous writing! and as to the girl-woman thing: well, how about that I'm not really sure and therefore just switch? All I can do is my best, and it doesn't amount to very much!) **Jewlz, Artemis MoonClaw **(yep, you just about defined me! And its just how I like things!)**, Lover not a fighter, **(slack off? Moi? Never... ahem) **Nakhash Mekashefah** (won't happen again. Thanks for the Lexicon idea- great site!)**, Kail Ceannai, stargazer starluver**

**Little tasks: Cookie goes to anyone who guesses what Voldie's plan for Hermione is! Also, as a really random thing, I have noticed that my Severus appears to have many of the traits of a certain Tamora Pierce character. Guess who?**

Also, I apologise for the rubbishness of this chapter. I really don't like it, but just needed to put it up and ever after rewrites it just won't improve. Sorry!

_**PLEASE REVIEW!**_


	8. Chapter Eight

Disclaimer: same old, same old.

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**Chapter Eight**

Hermione chose to ignore Severus's presence in the laboratory, and instead busied herself with laying out her ingredients exactly as she liked them.

It wasn't important. She knew that a real Dark Princess probably should not really be bothered if her bottles were not in alphabetical order, colour coded by potency and always dust free and shining.

But then, she also knew that her father wanted her to spend more time with 'the people', and not pore over books all day.

Hermione, however, had always come to the conclusion that she could affort to take liberties. It did not appear that anyone but her father had the power to change her, and he certainly was not about to make any changes soon.

Severus stood over Hermione, watching her trying to stop herself watching him. Brown eyes flickered back and forth quickly under long lashes as elegant hands fiddled with the bottles.

He watched, hypnotised, as she completed her work.

Hermione looked up, saw the man watching her, and was immediately put on the defensive. She hated it when he did this- people rarely managed to make her nervous. It appeared that Severus was the exception to this rule. He was not a huge talker- he just watched.

All the time.

"Hermione," he started, "I would like to thank you for saving me earlier."

"I don't want to talk about it. It means nothing."

"Why?"

The brown eyes hardened, and she frowned at him.

"I don't know what came over me. I have no idea why you were arguing with Draco, and nor do I want to, but I should have let him punish you. I'm just not myself today. It will pass."

"What is 'yourself'?"

Hermione froze. "'_Myself_'," she said slowly, "is a 'spoiled princess used to getting her own way', as you said yourself. This is just an off day. It won't happen again, I assure you."

Severus had no immediate answer to this statement. He stood by her side, and they began to add the ingredients to the potions. Once complete, they set it to simmer.

"You're not, you know," he finally said.

Hermione looked away from the simmering potion.

It was an entrancing sight- such a pale blue that it was nearly silver, light reflecting out of the tiny shards of crystal that had been added to it earlier.

A potion that could bring slow, agonising death.

Beautiful but intrinsically evil.

It was what Hermione liked to believe she was.

It was what Severus knew that she was not.

"Not what?"

Severus shook his head.

Hermione knew exactly what he was talking about. Still, he felt that he could lose nothing by telling her anyway.

"No matter how much you want to believe it, you are not a bad person. I know you think you are, but that will pass, and one day you will see..."

Although Hermione was hiding it flawlessly, she was boiling with anger inside.

How dare he do this to her? Was she not suffering enough?

"Tell me, Severus," she purred, "who I am."

He paused, appearing to have one of the internal debates that she so hated, then began to talk quickly and quietly.

Hermione listened in horror as he described the good person that he thought she was.

She outwardly shuddered as he told her of the sacrifices she had been willing to make for the people he said that she had loved, but knew that for her father, for Draco, maybe even for Severus when she came down to it, she would do exactly the same.

When Severus told her of her 'muggle background', Hermione laughed at him outright, but when he reminded her of all of the muggle ideas she had utilised in the design of her quarters, she was forced to fall silent.

Hermione was surprised at the extent of the love that everyone in the world that he believed her to have lived in had for her.

She was flattered at the respect that Severus said that everyone had.

She was jealous of the honest, undemanding affection that this false Hermione had clearly been showered with.

Overall, Hermione decided, she would not have minded living in this fictional world. Never mind that should she believe Severus, she would probably be killed by all these people in the middle of a trap set up especially for her....

It was always nice to dream.

Hermione suddenly noticed that the deep, silky voice had fallen silent.

Severus was looking at her expectantly. As she looked into his eyes, she saw not a trace of the fear that she was always hoping to inspire in him. All that she could find was... pity. Pity and affection.

This was not good. Not good at all. She needed to find a way out, make him see who she was, what she was....

She needed time.

"Severus," Hermione said softly. "You have not told me how you felt at me before this... change. What did you think of this Hermione you thought you knew?"

The man appeared to freeze.

He looked down at his hands, the fingers of which were knotted in a similar way to how her own had been earlier.

She could feel how tense he was from where she was standing, just a step away.

And suddenly, it all fell away. His shoulders slumped, and he let out a quiet sigh.

"As you were before? I respected you. I liked you, even as I hated your interminable friends. I..." he trailed off. She looked at him expectantly. "I didn't think they deserved you. Thought what a waste it would be if... if something like this happened... and you never knew..."

Severus stopped abruptly. He looked at her quickly, but as she met his eyes, he looked away again.

Hermione knew that Severus was not really making literal sense, but the little voice of reason inside her informed her exactly what he was trying to convey.

She was suddenly struck by a brilliant idea. Hermione drew herself up, and slowly closed the distance between her teacher and herself.

Severus looked up as she drew nearer to him. His eyes widened as the space between them shrank, but made no attempt to move away.

As Hermione looked up at him, she saw an affection that she had not seen for such a long time. It was less demanding than the affection she received from her father, more earnest than what she got from Draco. It was something quite different...

Something inside her told her not to carry out her plan, to let it go and not ruin what could be.

As usual, Hermione pushed it away and leant in to kiss the man that had frozen before her.

For a second, she thought that he was not going to respond, that he would shun her.

Just before Hermione was about to pull away, however, Severus appeared to come to his senses. He wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss, and she returned it eagerly.

As Severus picked her up and carried her out of the laboratory into his chambers, Hermione fought to remind herself that this was all an act, and that she felt nothing for the man that clearly felt so strongly for her.

As he whispered to her how much he loved her, and the life that they could live together, she repeated over and over in her head how it could never be.

Finally, Hermione decided to forget the act, the plan, the darkness. All that mattered was here and now.

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_Uh, I hate to tell you guys, but I don't write smut scenes. The next chapter is going to cut right to the morning after. If you want a smut scene, the go to the PWP section for a chapter! And yes, I know, Voldie and his dastardly plan made no appearance in this chap. And it was very short. Sorry!_

I love all my reviewers! Hugs to **Squashes, Christieanne-Anna, angelfish2, lollylips3, Amara Lewis, Kim, Artemis MoonClaw, Sophianwin** (drop this fic? Never! Also- short chapters mean more frequent updates!)**, Lover not a Fighter **(the only one? I feel for you)**, Don't Tell Harry **(no.... just no.... bad child)**** You guys make my day!

In other news, I am still pimping my new humour C2 Community. Please check it out!

_

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_You know the drill.... Its time to review now! I'd love to break 100 and I can't do it without you!_


	9. Chapter Nine

Disclaimer: I am the mighty J K Rowling. I own everything. If you believe me, go look up 'gullible' in a dictionary and see if your picture is next to it. _Honestly...._

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**Chapter Nine**

Hermione woke up. For a moment she could not work out where she was.

The bed was strangely hard, not like the one in her normal sumptuous abode.

There was a scent to the pillow that was not her own; cinnamon mixed with something that she struggled to identify but somehow could place.

Strangest of all was the presence of two slightly muscular arms draped possessively around her.

Hermione froze.

_Damn._

Her mind frantically ran around in circles as she tried desperately to work out what she had just got herself into.

Hermione finally concluded that she had two options to choose from.

She could throw herself wholeheartedly into the relationship, following her instincts alone and forgetting about her father, about Draco, about the life that she was meant to be living. She could give up the power, and strength, the awed respect, and follow Severus out into the unknown.

Or she could stick to the plan that she had quickly made last night, and give up the warmth that was currently surrounding her so comfortably. She could sacrifice what could be for the happiness of her father and only live for power.

As Hermione thought, she unconsciously snuggled deep into the covers and the embrace of the man holding her. It came as a shock, therefore, a few moments later when the arms around her tightened.

"Good morning, love," rumbled a deep voice.

Hermione opened her eyes to look into two endless black pits, a faint light from lord knows where shining deep inside them.

She cringed at the thought of what she was about to do. At what she _had _to do.

"Love?" she asked scornfully, whilst pushing away the warm arms and rolling out of the bed.

Hermione looked down at the man lying below her.

Severus's mouth was opening and closing, but no sound was coming out.

Although he was by no means a small man, he somehow looked lost lying alone in the bed, the covers crumpled around him.

_What am I doing? _

"Hermione," said Severus, almost pleadingly, "I don't understand. Why are you doing this?"

_I don't know, I don't know, please stop..._

Finally, she found her voice again.

"Thanks for the shag, Severus. No-" her voice cracked. She cleared her throat and tried again. "No lessons today, I think."

"You haven't told me why."

"Why?" she asked, disguising a sob with a laugh. "You think you mean anything to me? I told you once, I'll do it again. You are nothing."

_No. You are everything. Everything..._

Hermione turned and swept out of the room, hoping that the darkness would hide the tears streaming down her face.

"A triumph," she choked out almost hysterically. "A triumph indeed."

* * *

In the afternoon, Hermione woke from a fitful sleep, feeling restless but by no means refreshed. 

Upon dressing and pacing from a while, she decided to distract herself with a visit to her father.

At the end of the corridor that lead to her fathers chambers, she leant her head against the wall and began to plot the different ways to enter undetected.

A living form was, of course, impossible. Her father had told her so himself.

Inanimate objects to transform herself into were usually successful, but she rarely got near enough to her father to surprise him accurately.

It was just so difficult to transform oneself into a dust mite and _then _persuade a breeze to blow you into exactly the right place.

And then the problem was that you could sometimes forget what your natural form was.

Hermione shuddered at the memory of the week that she spent as a door stop, before somebody remembered that Voldemort _had _no doorstop and transfigured her back into a woman.

How humiliating that had been.

So what to do?

Hermione contemplated the options for a few moments more, but as she did, she heard voices.

Being a person rather prone to sticking her nose in where it was not wanted, Hermione was naturally interested. _This_ she could focus on. The perfect way to distract herself from...

Hermione thought for a moment, and then placed her hands to her ears. At once, they lengthened, enlarged, and snaked their ways down the corridor to take up post by the cracks beneath the door.

Hermione sat down and began to listen to the conversation taking place inside.

"... and she doesn't know?" asked a voice. The extended pronunciation of the s's made it sound almost like the hissing of a snake. It could only have been her father.

"She knows nothing, I am sure of it," drawled a voice. Hermione froze at the recognition of Draco's baritone.

But she had been so sure that he held no power in her father's inner circle- the boy was certainly not important enough to hold consul with Voldemort himself!

"Excellent. How is it faring?"

"Very well, if I may say so myself. Frankly, I think that she adores me. With a little persuasion, I think that anything will be possible," and there was the Malfoy arrogance that Draco used on everyone except for herself. A self-confidence that was almost overwhelming.

"And how are _you_ finding it?"

"Well, you know how it is. Hermione is a filthy mudblood- speaking to her, looking at her, touching her.... It makes me rather queasy, I must say!"

Hermione gasped, unable to believe what she was hearing.

"Are you nothappy to go through with it, then?"

"My Lord, for you I am." There was a pause. "Oh, and I must say that the benefits are rather good as well. I father her child, and it will become the most powerful- well, second most powerful to yourself- wizard that has ever lived. Spending time with the mudblood is a necessary sacrifice."

"I'm glad that you understand. She is of no sentimental value to you, I trust?"

Hermione heard what sounded for all intents and purposes like a snort.

"Excellent. So once she has had your child, young Malfoy, it will be very easy to have her killed."

"Oh good. I was hoping that you would not force me to put up with her after we have got what we needed. The mudblood should probably be out of our hair in ten months!"

"That soon?"

Hermione could almost hear the smirk.

"What can I say? I'm a fast worker."

Hermione let out a choked sob.

Severus had been right.

She was a nothing, with no future, no real place. The love that her father had shown for her was a lie.

And just a few hours ago, she had thrown away the only real thing in false little world.

She jumped at the sound of movement from the chamber.

As quickly as she could, she called back what she liked to call her 'extendable ears' and quickly apparated back to her quarters.

Hermione paced back and forth around the main room. What could she do?

Undoubtedly, Severus had been right. Her father had modified her memory, and made up a purely fictional past that she had been only too happy to shelter in. Unfortunately, it could not help her now...

Or could it? She could run away, find her old friends and ask them to help her.

But even if she could find them, which was highly unlikely, why should they believe her when all she had was a bunch of false memories? Why should they trust someone that had believed herself to be in league with Voldemort?

And could she leave Severus?

Wait! How could she have been so foolish? _Severus!_

Hermione calmly strode to the door, and opened it up to reveal the man in his chambers.

Severus was still in bed. It appeared that he had slept since she had left- and not well at that.

She watched him toss and turn for a while...

And murmur her name?

She slowly walked over to the man and touched his cheek.

"Severus?"

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Ha ha! The eeeevil plot has emerged! But will Severus trust her again? 

And now has deleted my longer review responses. So, for the second time... thanks to **sophianwin, Rae** (no! My Sevvie! Mine!), **Christieanne-Anna** (you do? Yay!), **stargazer starluver, Lover not a fighter** (trust me, I'd only disappoint you), **kalina, JasperPress777, Matte **(I made it! Thanks!), **momsangel, Artemis MoonClaw**. Hugs to you all!

_I'm still pimping my C2 humour community- I'd love more staff and subscribers! hint_

**Now y'all know the drill. Please press that lil button!**


	10. Chapter Ten

Disclaimer: I disclaim.

Especially for pickles, who is losing sleep.

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**Chapter Ten**

"Severus?"

Severus opened his eyes, and sat up quickly as soon as he remembered the identity of his visitor.

"What are you doing here?"

The man watched, a little confused, as the proud woman that he was beginning to grow accustomed to hung her head.

"You were right."

What on earth did she think she was talking about?

"Hermione, unless you want something, I must ask you to leave."

_That's right, Severus, you're doing well. Don't let her get to you._

"Severus," she repeated, sounding –could it be?- desperate. "Please, I need your help. You were right about who I am, about my past. Please take me somewhere safe, anywhere but here."

This had to be some kind of joke. She could not seriously be expecting him to trust her!

"I was right about who you were. Yes. The Hermione I thought I knew truly _is _gone. I understand that now. All that is left it _you_," he said bitterly.

"No, no, you don't understand. I heard them- well, Draco and my father. No, not my father..." Hermione appeared to catch herself, and shook her head as if trying to clear it. "You were right about my past. They mean to kill me. Please..."

At this, Severus leapt out of bed.

"Why are you doing this now? I don't need any more lies. Haven't you done enough already?"

The man watched as his former student's face crumpled. She moved towards him, and he automatically stepped back, toppling onto the bed that he had forgotten existed.

Hermione sat down on the bed, next to but not touching Severus, and put her head in her hands.

Severus watched silently as a curtain of hair slowly fell over her face.

"I don't know what to do," she whispered. Severus got the impression that she was not actually talking to him. "Everything has fallen apart..."

In spite of himself, Severus could not help wanting to comfort the lost woman sitting beside him.

He then gave himself a slight shake and a mental slap.

_She's probably not even sad. She's probably working for Voldemort, and just wants to get inside the Order so that she can spy on us and then turn again at the last moment,_ he reminded himself. _I can't let my feeling blind me to what must be true. I can't-_

Severus's musings were cut off as Hermione began to sob.

What had happened to the poised woman that he had been hurt so badly by this morning? Such a change... it couldn't be real. It could only be a trick.

"This isn't going to work, Hermione. I know I am a fool, but not this much of a fool. Your acting isn't up to its normal standard. I suggest you leave now and practice a little more."

She looked up at this, and Severus caught himself noticing every teardrop clinging to her eyelashes.

Even as he reminded himself that Hermione was certainly not one of the lucky people that could look lovely even while crying, all that this fact made him want to do was chase the hurt away.

_No. Its not real._

Hermione stood up. "Severus. I'm sorry. I..." She shook her head.

The woman then pointed one of her fingers at the man still sitting on the bed. Severus immediately jumped up- what was she doing to him?- and landed on the ground.

It took him at least a second longer than usual to complete this task, simply because his legs were no longer the length that they had been a moment before.

He opened his mouth to ask Hermione what she thought she was playing at, but all that came out was a squeak.

Hermione leant down and picked up the black mouse that was now looking dazedly around from its new perspective, and lifted it to her face.

"Behave, and I'll explain everything in a minute."

She then walked out of the room, with the mouse safely tucked in a pocked in her robes.

As Severus managed to peek out of the top of the warm black pocket, he heard her mutter the spell that gave entry to her private rooms. Hermione walked to a cupboard and opened it, taking out a wand.

_His _wand.

She held it in her hands for a moment, and watched as it shrunk under her gaze to a bendy strip of wood. Hermione then lifted Severus out of her pocked and tied the strip around one of his legs.

Hermione tapped the mouse on the nose as it immediately turned to try and get to the wand.

"No. You can't use it now. Be patient. Now pay attention."

Severus, interested, forgot about his wand for the moment. It did not appear that she was going to take it away again- he was just unable to use it.

"I'm going to let you go outside the entrance to the quarters. You are going to run from here for a day. It doesn't matter where- just go as far away as possible. In a little less than twenty-four hours, you will become human again and your wand will return to normal. Go back to wherever you were before this all happened. Do you understand all that? Nod or shake, please."

Severus, unable to believe his luck, nodded. Hermione gave him a weak smile in return, and then he found himself alone in the tomb in the graveyard.

Instinct kicked in. The Slytherin sense of survival woke once more, Severus could think of nothing but his new-found freedom.

He ran.

* * *

Albus Dumbledore had been hit hard by the loss of Hermione Granger. Nobody had been expecting it, so there had been no way of being prepared. 

The fate of Severus Snape had been expected. Everyone knew that one day, he would be caught.

But that had not made losing him any easier.

As the old man sat in his office, musing over possible plans for the future of the Order, all that came to his mind was that he was getting too old for this.

Sometimes things just became too much...

He sat up with a start as the door to the office slowly swung open.

Albus could do nothing but stare at the bedraggled figure of his spy and Potions Master that was currently leaning against the doorframe.

As the man murmured something along the lines of, "Hermione.... alive.... saved me... memory..." and collapsed to the floor, the older man turned mechanically to the fire and called for Madame Pomfrey.

He suddenly felt more tired then ever before.

Albus knew he should be happy... But sometimes things did simply become too much.

* * *

"Severus, do forgive me for seeming a little slow here, but I would just like to make sure that I have the story straight." 

"Go ahead," said the man, lying back on his bed in the infirmary.

"Hermione is alive. She identified you as a spy. She proceeded to _save_ you, then acted in a very un-Hermione like manner to you. After this, she managed to gain your trust, then betrayed it, then attempted to regain it and get your help in running away. And _then_ she just let you go. Just like that."

"In short, yes."

Dumbledore sighed, and rubbed his eyes.

"And where is she now?"

"Where she was before, I assume.Your guess is as good as mine."

"And which side do you think she is now on?"

"I don't know. She just kept changing- but something tells me now that she was telling the truth. Why else would she let me go?"

"I don't know. I suppose that-"

Before Albus could finish speaking, Blaise Zabini walked into the infirmary. Severus looked at the dark man in confusion, but was taken no notice of.

"Albus, Hermione is at the Malfoy's manor. You asked me to keep you informed."

_Apparently, _thought Severus with a trace of annoyance, _it wasn't too difficult for Albus to move on and find a replacement for me. Not that it matters. _

"Yes," Albus said slowly, "I did. Severus, what do you think?"

"Think? Think about what?"

"Should we do anything?"

Severus thought for a moment, then said, "We have to go and get her."

He immediately got out of bed.

"Severus," Dumbledore started, "are you sure that this is sensible?"

"Of course. Why not?"

"You are tired and weak..."

"I can take a potion for it." Severus paused and looked at the distressed man looking up at him. "Albus, there is nothing you can say that will stop me coming. Don't even try."

* * *

Hermione sat in the manor's garden with Draco, Lucius and Narcissa, running her fingers along the fragile rim of her teacup. 

She was, to be honest, bored almost to death.

Once she had found out that all the affection that everyone around her seemed to feel was false, Hermione was no longer able to take pleasure in anybody's company.

She had amused herself for a few hours bywatching the Malfoys for any tiny cracks in their acting. There were a fair few, but nothing that she could play on and exploit.

She knew that there was no point in trying to run away. Without a secure place to take refuge in, she would be caught and killed in a matter of hours.

None of the magic that she possessed was anywhere near strong enough to counter that of Voldemort.

Hermione looked around the garden. It was lovely, in an orderly, controlled way.

The flowers stood perfectly upright in their beds like soldiers; colour coded and clearly too frightened to droop. The trees were perfectly pruned, without a twig out of place. There was not a weed in sight- what weed would dare show itself here?

Like everything else to do with the Malfoys, the garden seemed artificial and somehow wrong.

As Hermione contemplated crushing the delicate teacup and throwing the pieces at Draco just to see what he would do, a loud screeching filled the air.

At once, all of the Malfoys jumped up and whipped out their wands.

"Hermione," said Draco, "go back into the house. That was the alarm. There are intruders in the grounds."

Now _that _was an interesting development.

"Don't worry, I can help you look after them. After all, I am much more capable than you are."

Hermione gave the man that had turned to glare at her an innocent smile, then surveyed the grounds for the intruders.

A moment later, there were a series of 'pops' and a group of twenty odd people were standing before them.

At the head of the group, next to an old man that was currently glaring at Lucius Malfoy, was Severus.

There was a moment's pause, then chaos broke out. There were a series of shouted hexes, and a moment later a few of the intruders and the three Malfoys were lying unconscious on the floor.

Hermione was surprised to find herself still standing, completely unharmed.

"Severus? I don't understand."

The man, however, seemed so busy looking at Hermione that he was unaware of her actually speaking.

"I think," started the old man standing next to him, with a slight twinkle in his eyes, "that he has decided for the first time in his life to give someone a second chance."

* * *

A slightly longer offering to make up for the extremely short previous chapters and cliffies. What do you think of it?

I have re-written my responses to the reviews twice. I am tired. Basically, love and hugs to everyone who has reviewed and I will thank you properly when this site gets it act together! You asked for a quick update and here is is (well, quick for me!). Lots of reviews DOES make me update faster!


	11. Chapter Eleven

Disclaimer: ...

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**Chapter Eleven**

Hermione was immediately escorted to Hogwarts by Severus and the old man that had introduced himself as 'Albus Dumbledore, but you can just call me Albus'.

Upon entering Albus's office, Hermione found herself being smothered by two very enthusiastic men.

"Hermione, its so good to see you. We thought you were dead," a tall man with messy black hair was murmuring in her ear as he nearly throttled her.

A moment later, he was pushed out of the way by a redhead that crushed his lips to hers, drawing her close.

Hermione, panicking, began to struggle.

Realising what was happening, Severus stepped forward and pried the man away from Hermione.

Unsure what was happening, and feeling that she was missing something very obvious, Hermione moved towards him.

She was comforted slightly as Severus put a hand on her shoulder, led her to a chair, then sat down beside her.

"Dumbledore," said the black haired newcomer, "what's happening? This isn't Hermione."

"She doesn't know me," whispered the other man, freckles showing up stark against a pale face.

Albus shook his head sadly.

"Let me explain, boys. This _is _Hermione, but she her memory has been altered and she can't remember her real past."

Albus then turned to Hermione.

"Hermione, this is Harry Potter and Ronald –Ron- Weasley. They are your best friends."

Hermione turned to look at the two boys that gazed sorrowfully back at her.

And she felt nothing.

_I don't remember anything. I thought that if I came here, it would all come back, that it would all be fine. What do I do now?_

The occupants of the room sat in silence for a moment.

"I think," said Severus after a moment, "that we should start by taking Hermione away from here. When Voldemort finds out that the Malfoys are in Azkaban but Hermione is not, he will know who she is with. He won't stop until he kills her."

"We could hide her in Grimmauld place?" suggested Harry.

"No," said Dumbledore. "I don't think it is a good idea to have Hermione surrounded by all the people she can't remember. Severus, do you know of any way of restoring her memory?"

"Just one, but I takes a while to brew, and she cannot be left alone for that long."

"No," said Hermione, "don't worry about me. Give me the instructions, and I will find somewhere to go. I've already caused enough trouble."

Everyone turned to look at her. Severus raised an eyebrow.

"I very much doubt," he drawled, "that you will be able to brew this potion alone. I will be accompanying you, and we will return to everyone once this has all finished."

The boy introduced as Harry opened his mouth.

"No, Potter, you cannot play the hero and come with us because you are needed elsewhere. Same with you, Weasley," Snape added after a moment.

"Excellent," said Albus cheerfully.

Everyone else in the room glared at him.

Unfazed, he continued. "Severus, you can go and pack some of your things. I am sure that Minerva –your old head of house, Hermione- can take care of some things for you. I will just go and make sure that the place I have been thinking of is ready for its inhabitants."

Everybody looked at the old man in shock.

"I assume that this means I forgot to tell you all about the hideaway I made in the Italian mountains in case of dire emergencies?" asked the old man.

There was a silence.

"It appears so. Well, you all know now!" he said cheerfully, then walked out of the room, followed by Severus.

There was yet another pause.

Harry stood up. "Well," he said briskly, "we all know what to do. Even if," he smiled wryly, "that happens to be nothing in some cases."

Ron shook his head. "Hermione. I know you don't remember me now, but I just want to say how happy I am to have you back. When this is all over..."

"Ron, leave her alone. That can be sorted out afterwards."

Hermione opened her mouth to ask what exactly he was planning on doing to her when it was all over, but was interrupted the re-entry of Severus and Albus.

"Are you done?" asked Harry.

Severus merely raised an eyebrow, and pulled a minute suitcase out of his pocket.

"How did you do it all so quickly?" asked Ron in confusion.

"You'll never guess, Weasley." drawled Severus. "Its _magic_!"

Ron scowled.

Hermione moved towards Severus, and they grasped the portkey that Albus had given him together. They counted down from ten until the felt the jerk that told them they were on their way to Italy.

* * *

Severus joined Hermione outside the small but very comfortable house that Dumbledore had provided sent them to. They stood looking down at the snow covered slopes in silence for a minute. 

"Severus," said Hermione finally, "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything."

"It wasn't your fault."

"I don't-"

"It wasn't. When this is all over, you will be back to the good natured, self-sacrificing Miss Granger you always were."

Hermione froze.

"Miss Granger? Does that mean that I need to call you Professor Snape or something?" she asked, frowning.

Severus turned to look at her.

"When this is all over, you are going to hate me. You always hated me, it could never have been different," he said softly, his face unreadable.

He turned and made to walk back into the house. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, the man stopped and turned to face Hermione.

"Severus," she said, feeling him shiver when she said his name, "do you hate me?"

"No," he cried, "of course not."

"After all of this, I could never hate you," she said simply and pulled his lips down to hers.

This kiss was nothing like their last.

While there was nothing that Severus had not enjoyed about that one, there was something about the way that they took their time to explore each other that felt somehow more _right_.

It was only too soon that Hermione pulled away. "I don't care what you did in the past," she whispered, "if you will have me after all I have done..."

Severus chuckled at these words. "_If _I will have you? Just try to stop me." Then he lowered his lips to hers again and nothing more was said.

* * *

For the next few weeks, Hermione and Severus worked side by side on the potion, each relishing the company of the other. 

Knowing that her mind would be filled with memories of the Severus that she had hated in the past, Hermione had resolved to learn everything that she possibly could about the man that was so frightened of losing her.

Thanks to this, much of their time was spent discussing every part of the man's life, and the small number of facts that he could tell her about her own.

Too soon for both, the potion was finished.

* * *

Hermione was sitting in one of the armchairs with Severus, her legs slung across his, looking down into the murky cup that was the result of their hard work. 

"I don't know if I want to drink this."

Severus raised a questioning eyebrow.

"If I drink this and remember everything, then we need to leave this place. I don't know if I want to go back to everything that I left. If we could stay here forever..."

"Hermione, you know it can't happen. We may as well get this over with now."

She nodded slowly, raised the glass in a mock toast, then drank it in one gulp.

Severus quickly caught Hermione's head as it fell back limply. He frowned as her eyelids flickered, her body shaking violently as years worth of memories all flooded into itat once.

And then it was all over. Hermione sat up again and opened her eyes.

She looked up at him, her face and mouth working soundlessly.

"Hermione?" he asked gently, pushing her hair out of her eyes.

For a moment, she said nothing, her eyes filling with tears.

And then she said what Severus decided must have been the least welcome word in the world.

"Ron!"

* * *

Er, not much to say on this chapter. Thought I should mention that I am starting a new fic, but it is NOT going to interfere with my updates of this one! 

Thanks to all my yummy reviewers! Hugs to **StarsLuver, Greeknelo, foxxy-posse** (I'm not that good- but thanks anyway!), **stargazer starluver** (I'll try!), **Sanaria, sophianwin, Kathryn Black, Natsuyori, June, Jessica, lestrange24, Kail Ceannai **(because she didn't think she would be accepted. And, uh, it makes better plot, lol!), **Lover not a fighter** (thanks**!), Christianne-Anna **(yayayayayayayayayayay. lol!)** and Squashes **(great analogy. Uh. Oooh, its Jeeves. Ahem. A little coke high here)

_More reviews means faster updates!_


	12. Chapter Twelve

Disclaimer: I own nothing. You should have got that by now!

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

"Ron!"

It was all that Severus could do not to weep.

It had all been for nothing. One word had told him who_ really_ mattered to her.

And why _should_ she want_ him_? Who in their right mind would choose an old, ugly and bad tempered man over a young, handsome friend of many years?

Severus lifted Hermione off his lap and stood, placing her gently back in the chair.

"I'm sorry you misjudged me, Miss Granger. I will go and inform Albus that the potion was successful."

He turned and began to move towards the door.

Hermione immediately stood and caught his hand.

Severus looked into brown eyes that were pleading with his.

"Miss Granger, I know what –who- is on your mind. Please do not trouble yourself with letting me down slowly. I always knew this would happen... I just hoped..."

"Severus," whispered Hermione, her voice making something inside him ache, "you know who is on my mind, but you cannot presume to have _any idea_ what."

Severus looked away. She lifted her free hand to his face and forced him to look at her again.

"Severus, I was just wondering how I would tell my boyfriend of so many years that I was in love with someone else."

At this, the man finally appeared to come to his senses.

"You're serious?"

"As serious as I have ever been, Severus."

As this, he leant down to capture her lips in his and nothing more was said for a long time.

* * *

Severus and a very nervous Hermione were standing in the doorway of Grimmauld Place. 

"Severus, what if they reject me? The things I have done..."

"Hermione, love, nobody in their right mind would ever reject you. It will be fine. Look, I will ring the bell."

As soon as the first note of the bell sounded, there was a noise like thunder and the door was immediately flung open.

The sound was explained at the sight of the full entrance hall, and ten odd people bunched together precariously on the stairs.

Somebody shouted, "Hermione!"

At this, every person in the hall attempted to leap on her. They were only stopped by Severus, who growled about 'even returning friends needing to breathe' and 'eveyone calm down now before I hex you'.

She was then led into a sitting room- one that she remembered cleaning during the summer so many years ago.

Most of the people that had turned out to greet her were shooed away after a few minutes, leaving only Harry, Ron and Dumbledore in the room with her.

Harry stepped towards Hermione and embraced her a second time. This time, Hermione returned the embrace, comfortable with the friend that she finally remembered.

And then Ron tried to kiss her.

Hermione, once again, froze. When he carried on, she began to struggle, eventually hitting him over the head.

Ron stepped back, and looked at her, then at Severus. The corners of his mouth turned down, and he sat next to Harry, staring determinedly at the floor.

There was a moments silence as everyone thought about how much had changed.

Finally, Albus sighed.

"Hermione, I think we need to hear your story."

* * *

Once the story had been told, it was late. 

Hermione and Severus had been assigned rooms at opposite sides of the house, even though they were used to sleeping together. However, it was decided that their relationship would already cause a lot of trouble- kicking up a fuss was not the best of ideas.

Hermione woke early the next morning, and went downstairs to make herself breakfast.

She could not see anybody there, so took her time in the kitchen, making things just as she had always liked them.

As she sat down at the table, a cold, mocking voice asked, "So, where is _Severus_?"

Hermione turned to look at Harry, whose face was red with rage.

"In his room asleep, I expect."

"How lovely," he said bitterly.

"Harry, what's wrong?"

"Wrong! You're what's wrong! You live with Voldemort for over two years, then come back and betray Ron for one of the people he hates most in the world! And you ask what's wrong!"

"I'm sorry, Harry. Things changed."

"I'm sure. Well listen well, Hermione. I don't trust you, and I doubt anyone else does either. You're not the friend we knew in the past. I will be watching."

Hermione stared at Harry in shock for a moment. He stared back, his eyes narrowed.

"I can't believe you're doing this, Harry."

"What a shame."

Hermione paused for a moment, then threw her spoon at him and ran from the room.

* * *

Severus woke with a start as his door flew open and Hermione threw herself into his arms. 

"Well," he murmured, "to what do I owe this pleasant surprise?"

When he received no response, he moved a hand to her face to made her face him. Hermione's pale cheeks were streaked with tears.

Severus frowned. "What happened?"

"Harry said th-that everyone hates m-me," she choked out.

Severus rocked Hermione in his arms as she explained what had happened, then continued to hold her until she fell asleep.

Then he put her in his bed, and, after settling the covers over her, stormed out of the room.

Harry was still sitting at the table, and had been joined by Ron.

"I always knew," he started, "that you two did not deserve Hermione. But I never said anything, because I did not think you would actually _hurt_ her. I was wrong."

Harry opened his mouth to protest, but Severus continued.

"This wasn't her fault. She never asked for any of it. The last few weeks have been the hardest in her life. She could have just kept working for Voldemort, and not made any effort to come back. And it would have been so easy! But she didn't, and _this_ is how you repay her!"

"She betrayed me!" Ron burst out.

"Hermione did not know it at the time. She did not know what to do when she remembered, and she was so sorry... None of this was her fault."

Harry and Ron had the decency to look ashamed at this.

"Hermione just wants to make you happy again. And much as I loathe you, you make her happy, so I want peace between you."

"We'll go and talk to her," said Harry eventually in a small voice.

"Later," said Severus. "Leave her to rest."

* * *

Hermione woke up alone. 

She had ruined everything.

Her return had not had a good effect on anyone. They would have been happier if she had just stayed with Voldemort, had never tried to come back. All she had caused was arguments and suffering.

Realistically, her presence would only cause her friends added dangers, as now Voldemort would want to kill her as well as Harry.

She should just leave. Go back to the muggle world, find a job in a place that nobody would look... It would be better for everyone in the end.

Hermione cast a spell to make her clothes more acceptable in the muggle world, then apparated out of the room. She stood outside Grimmauld Place, looking up at it, and felt a pang.

But that was no longer important. She might hurt everyone –well, only Severus really- now, but in the long run.

She turned to walk away, but froze when she saw the man standing quietly by her side.

_Draco._

Before she even had time to think, he threw a net over her and drew it tight so that she was unable to move.

Hermione desperately tried to do the spells that Voldemort had taught her for escaping situations such as this, but there must have been something in the net that stopped her using magic.

Draco used a silencing spell on her, and threw an invisibility cloak over her head.

A few moments later found them in the headquarters that Voldemort was currently inhabiting.

But this time she was not going to her rooms or Voldemort's chamber.

This time she was going to the dungeons.

Hermione was thrown into one of the dungeons, and the lock on the door was clicked shut.

She heard various incantations being cast to stop her escaping even if she managed to get out of the next.

And then they left her there, crying alone in the dark.

* * *

I'm sorry. I'm hooked on cliffies! More reviews means a faster update. FINAL chapter coming up! Oooh, I have an idea... when I get ten reviews, I will update the next evening! smirks at evil idea

I love my reviewers! Hugs to **Christieanne-Anna, . **(pat pat), **stargazer starluver, Artemis MoonClaw, Squashes, kalina, Starsluver** (there are times when some sounds are just needed, I agree), **Kathryn Black, Aine** (chocolate Sevvie... or Draco... mmm.... happy daze thanks!),** June, Lover not a Fighter, Greeknelo** (I converse with myself. Actually, there are some people I know so well that I can converse with them too, even if they aren't present. So call me weird), **JasperPress77, Kail Ceanni and Natsuyori**. I am amazed that I get this many reviews- it makes my day!


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

_Last chapter, up as I promised!_

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

Severus decided that it was time to see how Hermione was coping.

Since Potter and Weasley deemed themselves too noble to visit a girl in her rooms, she would need to be out of bed before they could beg for forgiveness.

Hermione was not there.

Smiling slightly, Severus entered the bathroom, thinking about the advantages that would come with catching Hermione in the shower.

The bathroom was empty.

Severus frowned. Taking out his wand, he muttered to it, "_salus quero_," a spell that he had created. Although it was not a tracking spell, it showed whether the person in question was safe or not.

"Shit."

The answer was, of course, not.

And there could only be one reason why his Hermione would not be safe.

Moments later, without any thoughts of planning or safety, Severus Snape apparated into the Dark Lord's headquarters.

And it was due to this complete loss of judgement that seconds later he found himself bound, gagged, and thrown to the ground at the feet of Lord Voldemort.

_I am such a fool. How could I have even thought that I stood a chance alone? What was I thinking? Why did I not ask for help, or at least tell someone where I was going?_

_Oh yes, I remember. _

_I was thinking only of Hermione, nothing and no-one else. _

In his youth and middle age, Severus had always avoided women that wanted attachment.

As he had told everyone that had asked him why he refused to allow himself happiness, "Women cloud the mind."

And it was true.

And Severus fully understood that he was going to die because of it.

The difference, Severus noted, between himself then and himself now, was that the Severus lying at the feet of his old master no longer cared. All that mattered was Hermione, and if he died with her then, for some reason, to him it would be worth it.

Severus was jerked out of his reverie by a loud 'thud' at his right shoulder.

Rolling over to see what had caused it, he saw Hermione lying in a similar condition to himself.

He bit down on his gags in anger at the sight of the tear tracks on her cheeks, and did his best to roll towards her.

"How touching," said a cold voice. "Two traitorous lovers, about to meet their ends together. Any last words?"

Severus raised his head and gave the Dark Lord a condescending look.

"Oh yes, the gags. Should I take off their gags?" said the man thoughtfully, the cruel smile on his face not changing

Footsteps sounded close to Severus's head, and he looked up to see the youngest of the Malfoy generation sneering down at him.

"I think you should. After all, if they are gagged then we cannot hear them scream and plead for mercy."

Severus looked back at Hermione. She was staring steadily at Voldemort, her face a mask of fury despite the tear tracks.

A moment later, the gags were gone.

"Severus, I'm sorry," said Hermione after a moment. "This is my fault, I should never-"

"I have said it before, and I will say it again, Hermione. This isn't your fault."

Hermione shook her head, averting her eyes, and a couple of tears rolled down her cheeks.

"It is. I'm so sorry..."

"Hermione, please look at me. I don't care. I don't regret a moment. I would do this all again."

At this, Hermione turned to face him. She searched Severus's face, but could only find truth in it.

A cruel laugh sounded above them, reminding them that they were by no means alone.

Hermione turned to glare at Voldemort, and opened her mouth. She was stopped before she could even begin.

"How sweet this all is. Such a... _steadfast_ love. Truly a_ beautiful_ thing to see. I am afraid, however, that I wil need to interrupt you. _Crucio!_"

Severus watched as Hermione began to scream and writhe on the floor. He yelled at Voldemort to stop, to hurt him instead, or even as well. Anything to stop him having to watch this feeling so helpless.

The Dark Lord only laughed.

The screaming carried on for what felt like years.

And then it was over.

Hermione lay still on the ground.

"Hermione! _Hermione!_ No... please..." moaned Severus.

Her mouth opened. She appeared to be trying to say something, but she was too weak, and he could not hear her.

"Well, that was all very nice. But I am tiring of this. Which of you should I kill first?"

Severus refused to say anything to the man that had hurt the woman he loved.

Draco, however, had no problem with supplying his opinions.

"I would say that Granger has at least a few minutes more to live. You could kill Severus as she watches, then one good Crucio would kill her once he is dead."

"I must say, Draco, that you have very interesting ideas. It has been a long time since I have found someone that loves to hurt others as you do."

Draco looked flattered.

Voldemort, however, frowned.

"But your passion for pain could blind you to what is really important, Draco. By removing gags you could allow for cries for help. How would you know that a Crucio curse will really kill a wounded enemy?

"You are making mistakes, Draco. And you talk too much, which I must add is very annoying," concluded the Dark Lord. "_Avada Kedavra!_"

Severus watched in shock as the lifeless body of Draco Malfoy slumped to the ground beside him. He stared for a moment into the glassy eyes of the man that he had at one point mentored.

It struck him that even though Draco had made the wrong choices, it was still a waste. The whole business was a waste.

But it was too late to change anything now.

"You were different, Severus," said Voldemort slowly. "You always knew that nothing is as effective as one good killing curse. You were a good Death Eater. That was why I will miss your services so greatly. Ah well, it cannot be helped."

Severus was not listening, not even bothering to look at the thing that had once been a man levelling a wand at him and Hermione. His gaze was fixed on the one person that mattered to him more than life itself.

A voice shouted, "_Avada Kedavra!_"

There was a thud as a second body hit the floor.

Severus tore his gaze away from Hermione to look into the open, lifeless eyes of Lord Voldemort that were only inches away from his face.

Then he looked up to see Harry Potter standing over him, his wand outstretched.

"I think," he said, "I am changing my mind about these Gryffindor heroic tendencies. They sometimes come in handy."

Then Severus closed his eyes and allowed everything to go black.

* * *

Severus opened his eyes, then closed them again. 

It was very interesting, he mused to himself, that he was lying in a soft bed. When he had last been conscious, he had been on a hard floor.

Thing had been a lot colder in the last place that he had been, too.

For some reason, the hard floor and cold climate had not mattered to him then, though, despite his rather hedonist tendencies.

Strange, that. Severus wracked his exhaasuted mind for the reason as to why.

He opened his eyes again, and sat up in the bed to see a woman with long, straight brown hair walk into the room.

_I like the colour,_ he mused,_ but straight hair does not appeal to me. I prefer curls, really, although-_

**_Hermione._**

Severus at once leapt out of bed and ran out of the room, completely disregarding the shouts that were coming from the medic that had been about to attend to him. His Hermione was dying, maybe dead, and _he _had sleeping in a comfortable hospital bed.

The man looked to the left, then to the right. All that he could see was corridoor, with room after identical room to the left and right.

There was no escape, no convenient sign that would lead him to the woman that he loved.

Severus realised that he was probably too late anyway.

Leaning his head against the wall, he was unable to stop two slow tears from rolling down his cheeks.

He looked up in shock when he felt a hand on his shoulder. It was the woman that had hair that was not as lovely as Hermione's.

"Mister Snape? Are you alright?"

Severus glared at her.

"You need to come back to bed now, you will only do yourself harm."

Severus shrugged -it was not like he had anything worth living for anyway any more- but allowed himself to be led back to bed.

"It says here," read the woman off a piece of parchment once she had helped him settle, "that you have been given a number of potions that will have made you confused and weak. Well, that seems about right. But there is nothing about depression here. Would you like to tell me what is wrong?"

Severus sat in silence for a moment.

The woman just watched him.

He took some time to look at her name tag, which announced that her name was Heather.

"Hermione is dead," he stated, once he felt able to talk.

"No she isn't," said Heather, looking a little confused. "Why would you think that?"

"Last time I saw her, she was dying, so I assume that she is now dead."

Heather smiled, and even Severus's most furious glare could not stop her. "You will, I am sure, be happy to know that Hermione has had the best care that we can offer at Saint Mungo's over the last few days. She is well on the way to an almost complete recovery."

"You are sure?"

"Well she certainly seemed so when I was talking to her a minute before coming to see you."

At this, Severus leapt out of bed for the second time, once again ignoring Heather's protests.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?" he asked, looking down at her.

"You didn't ask. I never knew that you cared"

"Where is she?"

"Just down the-"

"Take me to her!"

"Are you sure-"

"Now!"

Heather sighed, then led Severus down corridoor after corridoor. Finally, they arrived at a white door that was identical to all those around it. She knocked on it.

"Are you well enough for a visitor?" she called.

A quiet voice from the room answered with a yes.

Without waiting a moment more, Severus burst through the door. And she was there, lying on the bed. She looked so small, so frail, as if she would break if he touched her.

But she was alive. And that was all that mattered.

"Hermione!"

**THE END**

* * *

_Its ooooooover, now to be forever lost to the back pages of fanfiction (and the odd person's favourites thanks to those of you I'm talking about what a lot of brackets! ). Sob. I can't believe it!_

My last hugs to my reviewers- **Kail Ceanni** (Ruler of Cliffies? Oh I LIKE it! Sorry about this chap- I'm just not great at conclusions. I did my best!), **Lover not a Fighter** (oops, sorry about that. Thanks for the compliment, even though I don't deserve it!), **Miss3y, Natsuyori, MackenzieW, StarsLover, Anna Mae, Aine **(my Sevvie as a creepy old man. He could NEVER be... ahem), **JasperPress77, kalinda, June** (but I neeeeed cliffies. I can't really do anything else!), and **GuardGirl.**

_I am currently trying to get myself some inspiration for a new Hermione/Sevvie fic, but am having trouble coming up with an origional plot. If any of you have ideas you would like to share, I would love to hear them!_

**_For the last time for this fic, then... please review!_**

Toodles!


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